What keeping time really means is...being on time!
You know, there was once a upon a time when my friends or my husband's friends invite us for dinner or a gathering, they would expect us to be late by half-an-hour. They would be totally prepared if we were late and come in with unironed clothes, grouchy kids and soup stains all over our jeans and shirts. But whenever we appeared earlier or ON TIME, they would all start writing down numbers to buy lottery the next day!!
I never really realized how important timing is until a client woke me up. I didn't really piss him off but he subtly reminded me that being on time would bring me more customers and also more referrals. Coincidentally, that was also the time that I was looking through a book about being organized and becoming a more successful home-preneur.
My husband is a fanatic about time - so, my disregard towards timing makes him ill - really, really ill. Sometimes so ill that he would promise to throw the whole idea of going out together out the window.
Then it occurred to me - if it was so important to my husband, imagine what it would be like for my clients. Imagine what it would be like for them to have to wait for me all the time when THEY ARE PAYING ME TO DO WHATEVER THEY HAVE ASSIGNED FOR ME!
Thinking about it and mentally reversing the situation made me really sit up and think. And today, I am no longer as late as I used to be. I can be an occassional much-too-laidback or lackadaisical or procrastinator...whatever you call it.....person but, all in all, timing is now more important to me.
It's very important for us, home business owners, to be timely than for others. If, for example, a sales person from Braun is late for an appointment, you'd just sit back and wait cause they're BRAUN, you know what I mean. They must have about 100 appointments a day. But when a home business owner is late about handing up a project, the client would automatically think one thing - this person is not serious about his/her business. And it's bad to work with someone who's not serious about his/her work. And you know, you'll just lose the business this way - much too easily.
So, take my advice. If there was one thing you have to change. it's your timing.
Everything else, you can change tomorrow.....no pun intended here. :-)
Marsha Maung is a freelance work at home graphic designer and writer who resides in Selangor, Malaysia with her husband, Peter and 2 kids, Joshua and Jared. She is the author or "Raising Little Magicians" and other work at home books. For more information, please visit http://www.marshamaung.com
Chicago limo Skokie ..One of the tried and true organization and time-management tools... Read More
We all get overwhelmed from time to time, and sometimes... Read More
It's amazing how many sayings there are in our culture... Read More
One of the most common complaints that small business owners... Read More
Your time and energy are the two most precious gifts... Read More
This is one more article on "Organizing and Enjoying Your... Read More
How often have you tried to manage your time in... Read More
It's 6:00 a.m. I'm awake. I'm pumped! I'm ready to... Read More
This may not sound like a big deal. But it's... Read More
I'm sure we've all had the experience of having a... Read More
Whatever providence has in store for us tomorrow is not... Read More
Isn't it amazing that some people can produce huge results... Read More
OK...let's assume that you're truly motivated to change. Great. But... Read More
Goal Planning-Achieving balance in a person's life requires assessment of... Read More
Time - it is the one thing that we are... Read More
You can lose, damage or waste some things in life,... Read More
Does it seem like there is never enough time in... Read More
Whenever you have projects that can't be done in one... Read More
There are two types of time killers in everyone's life.... Read More
All requests are not equal; all customers or clients are... Read More
If you feel like your life moves faster than a... Read More
Here's some time management tips to try:1) Set strict office... Read More
We all know the harmful effects of overwork. People get... Read More
Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in... Read More
Still awaiting the birth of my baby (I am overdue),... Read More
limo O'Hare Bonfield ..Time is wealth;Time is health; Time is power; Time is... Read More
Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the... Read More
How many people do you know who are so busy... Read More
Time is money in your online business, just as in... Read More
"I find it interesting that the very cape I tried... Read More
It is not enough if you are busy. The question... Read More
In working with and coaching people across the country, one... Read More
When you decide to become self-employed, you automatically become the... Read More
* spreading yourself too thinTaking on too many things at... Read More
41 practical and quick ways to get on top of... Read More
It's been said, "That no one has enough time yet,... Read More
This past Friday I was asked to speak with a... Read More
Yesterday, I'd just gotten comfortable at my favorite table in... Read More
Most people want to start a home-based business to make... Read More
From Potential to PerformanceOne of the great things about life... Read More
Last week I had the privilege of spending some quality... Read More
Do you wish you could work less and play more?... Read More
As the song goes, this is the time to relax,... Read More
What would you say to me if I told you... Read More
And when you finally sat down to eat breakfast, was... Read More
Perhaps it is merely semantics, but an underlying problem I... Read More
If you have spent any time at all working at... Read More
We all know the harmful effects of overwork. People get... Read More
Goal Planning-Achieving balance in a person's life requires assessment of... Read More
Time management consultant Stephen Young claims that the average time... Read More
Time Management |